1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to printer image control systems, and more particularly to an improvement of a printer image control system to remove unwanted images.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
In a printing operation with a print server connected to a network, sometimes it is necessary to delete unwanted or unnecessary parts of the image. Also, it is sometimes required to print a selected part of an image generated from certain image data in an area smaller than that of the image. For instance, as shown in FIG. 12, it may be required to print only a partial area of the image "C" of image data 101 of size A3 (JIS: Japanese Industrial Standard) on a sheet 102 of size A4. In this case, the image "C" is printed on the sheet 102 as shown; that is, it covers the entire area of the sheet 102 but is dim in the peripheral portion. Therefore, it is necessary to delete the dim portion of the image if a clear printing is to be achieved.
In addition, in the case where image data is supplied to a print server from a work station connected to a network, sometimes it is required to print the image data except for some predetermined part. For instance in FIG. 13, where image data 103a displayed at a work station screen 103 is transmitted through a network to a printer control unit, it sometimes is required to print the image data except for an unwanted part 103b.
Furthermore, in printing image data when the image has a certain size, it sometimes is required to shift the image in its entirety, for instance, to the right in order to provide a binding margin for the printing sheet. As shown in FIG. 14, image 105 is shifted to the right on the printing sheet to provide a binding margin 107 on the left side. In such a case, heretofore, the image data is merely shifted to the right before being printed.
The above-described prior art suffers from the following problems:
(1) In the case depicted in FIG. 12, the printed image "C" covers the entire area of the sheet 102, but is dim in the peripheral portions.
(2) In the case depicted in FIG. 13, the unwanted image 103b may be deleted at the work station; however, the deletion of the unwanted image is time consuming and may damage the contents of the file. It is therefore desirable that the deletion of the unwanted image be carried out using the printer control unit; however, heretofore, it has not been possible to do so.
(3) In the case depicted in FIG. 14, the right side portion of the image is truncated; that is, not all the image data is printed out, and accordingly the intended image is not completely printed.